


The Terran Senator

by Sun_Day



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Andorian, Arranged Relationships, Canon Backstory, Corruption, Dark Past, F/M, Familial Love, Ferengi, Generals - Freeform, Hybrid Family, Interplanetary immigration, Interplanetary relationships, Klingons, MACO, Mentorship, Past Relationships, Power Imbalance, Power Play, Revenge, Secrets, Strong Families, Strong Female Characters, Tellarites, Vulcan, backstabbing, greed - Freeform, power couples, race relations, senator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-11
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2019-08-21 22:48:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16585742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sun_Day/pseuds/Sun_Day
Summary: Leidy, a young senator with a convoluted past steady discovers deep corruption within the Terran government that threatens the federation. Moved to compassion and yearning for peace between all sentient species she defies all expectations, rising to unprecedented power.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment if you like this. Definitely, a different kind of story but don't worry, there will be plenty of drama.

Leidy sprinted down the hallway, panicked by the deserted corridor. Catching the last half of, "…in Session," she barreled through the heavy doors, entering the house.

Rows upon rows of senators all turned their heads towards the maroon gust. Every single camera in the room was trained on her, and Leidy crossed her finders that there wasn’t anything stuck in her teeth as she flashed a flamboyant and unashamed smile.

"Junior senator of the 3rd state! Court is in session and late entries are unacceptable." The head of the senate glared at her with distaste, eyes on the clock. "Attendance is adjourned and I ask you to leave immediately,"

Beckoning Leidy to cut through the seats and disregard the aisle, her senior, a blond senator of the 3rd cut in to defend her. "With all due respect, honorable senator of the 1st state, today's hearing was scheduled for stardate 2261.30. It is not yet-"

"Only a few seconds remain yet, all other senators are at their place-"

"Yes, second's remain, therefore the Junior senator is not late!"

The junior senator continued without much regard to the discussion, climbing over two rows of senators, "Sorry, sorry Jerry. Oops, watch the water." Wide eyes stared at her as she reached her seat and sank into it.

She raised her hand as proper, "Honorable upper house, Senator of the 3rd state reporting for duty, stardate 2261.30." Precisely, on time.

A hundred pairs of eyes glared at her but Leidy steadily stared at the Senator who had refuted her entrance, challenging the senator with tumultuous eyes.

Hesitantly, the meeting was commenced with an ostentatious flair and pretty soon, Leidy felt a nudge.

"A second later and Marcus might have dragged you out himself."

Leidy smirked, skimming over the article being debated on the floor. "Thanks for covering for me James. He looked ready to mop the floor with me. But did you see the look on the senator of the 2nd when I called him Jerry?"

"I'll have to frame that look, were you able to get the admissions of falsity from the Vise Admiral?"James' eyes drank her as if she were an oasis within miles and miles of desert. 

"Got us something better, James. An admission of unfit state, the man claims to have been struggling with substance dependence throughout the entire voyage."

"What! You're kidding…" Leidy met twinkling eyes when she felt a warm hand cautiously massaging her thigh.Thankfully, the desks were made of thick wood that went down to their ankles. Regardless, a blush burned her face.

"Senior Senator of the 3rd state!" The head of senate screeched interrupting them. "It is the duty of the senior senator to set example for the junior senator. It's shameful to see that the values and decorum of the senate being degraded by an experienced officer. Your senior, the late senator Healey did a tremendous work in this house. I suggest you do not ruin the reputation your state has earned here in the senate."

James shifted in his seat, cheeks aflame but under the desk Leidy put a hand on his knee and tapped to comfort him. She looked down apologetically, and the hearing resumed.

 

* * *

 

"The history of senate has not witnessed a more disastrous commencement meeting. Leidy, there are senators who tonight are beginning to draft a resolution to censure you. If I were in their shoes I would not hesitate to do the same."

Leidy played with her folk, twirling it around absentmindedly, "I don't know, daddy. I don't think it well all that badly. Ok, I think the beginning was a little rough but I get along with James so I think it'll be a productive relationship. Bipartisan collaboration is important for the people!"

Her father glared at her, and Leidy submissively succumbed to the pressure, laying her head on the table while looking up at him. She was flushed red, her eyes threatened to spill over, but a silly little smile defied her father's seriousness.

"Senator Constane requested I counsel you after you called him by his first name, a diminutive of his first name actually. Is remembering to always refer to fellow members by their titles in the house a difficult task. You can only call senators by their names in privacy, we have discussed this before!" Her father sighed, leaning back shaking his head. "You will not be reelected if you continue to infuriate the senatorial body. You need your peers to hold you in high esteem if you ever consider holding any weight of significance. Additionally consider what your constituents think of you."

"My approval ratings are steady, dad, the people know exactly who they elected."

"Leidy, your approval numbers went down by 1%-"

"Yeah! Only, 1% and I acted atrociously. Think about it, I nearly came in late, crawled over the top of senators, called a senator by his first name, and spoke during a hearing."

"I know exactly what you did, Leidy. You cannot afford to plummet down the ratings, there are ten more senatorial candidates vying for your job, with much better credentials, more experience, stronger connections, and the discipline to tear you down. The people need someone who they can respect-"

"The people need someone who cares, who they can relate to, who they like! Dad, when you were a senator, if you sneezed in session your ratings would plummet like 10%. Your constituents could barely stand you one day and hated you the next. I get it, Dad, 15 years in the senate taught you a lot, but let me try to do this myself. I don't want to be Rafael Odinara, planetary overseer of MACO and minister of the Starfleet Defense forces number two." Leidy's eyes filled with regret the second her mouth closed.

"I'm sorry, daddy," she reached her hand across the table, grabbing his in supplication, "You have to know what I mean, I think you were an amazing senator, an even better minister of defense now. It's just that the way you've done things… to get in power… I disagree with them." She finished in a whisper.

Her father rose, setting his napkin on the table. "I didn't know you held me in such low regard, Leidy."

She caught his forearm before he could leave, "That's not what I meant dad, I just… Your reputation is so stiff and formal, everyone's scared of you. I can't ever be you... even if I tried."

"Procure finding someone you can be, Leidy. I refuse to believe you fought so hard to be elected only to make a fool of yourself, your state, and of me. And Leidy, I saw how you and your senior senator were looking at each other. _Everyone_ saw that disgrace. Keep your romantic delusions to yourself, people like James do not pay attention to people of your pedigree."

 Leidy was left alone in the dark dining room, only the moon illuminated her. Clearing the table, she placed the dirty dishes into the food replicator and lit the room. Her tablet was newly filled with tomes that she had to go through before the next hearing, only a week away. Messages filled her inbox, thousands from constituents, a few from James, a litany from her own family.

For a moment she was paralyzed under the crushing workload. Her fingers trembled with anxiety. Her first day in the Terran senate had been a mess. It was her own fault, walking into the hearing like it was a Neighborhood Association Wednesday night meeting.

A message pinged in from her cousin Avi. _Hey, don't worry about today. You did great. Love you always._

Instantly, she called him. "Avi?" The other side of the line filled her heart with warmth, "Hello," Avi chuckled, amused, "Want to tell me about your day?"

"Do I? I don't even know where to start, I feel so overwhelmed." She slipped down until she sat on the floor, clutching her head.

"I don't think this could have gone any worse, Avi, I failed before-"

"Ah, ah, ah. Why don't I come over so we can talk about it better-"

"No," Leidy interrupted, "I'll go to your place. My dad is home."

Avi hummed, "Okay, bring your things so you can sleep over. If I'm not home it's because I headed out to get ice cream, the door's unlocked."

"Not the generic food generator type? Oh can you get the Andorian ice cream?"

"I wouldn't get any other kind."

* * *

 

Avi and Leidy lay in bed, spooning ice cream while making their way through the first of many books on Senatorial etiquette. "You know, if I had read this book before running for senate I probably would have stayed on city council.

"It's a good thing we convinced your dad not to give it to you then."

Leidy gasped, kicking him under the sheets, "This was available to me before? And no one told me about it?"

Avi laughed, "In our defense, the book is literally in your father's virtual library, open to the family. It's not like it was out of sight, Leidy."

"Still!

"Reading through these is certainly eyeopening," Leidy depressed her finger into the forward button, watching the pages fly past, and sighed feeling glum, "But I feel like these books are just a collection of things not to do and rules to follow. How do I actually do something that matters?"

Avi shrugged his shoulders, sympathizing with the most apologetic big eyed look he could.

"So, what did you think about the hearing?" Leidy whispered.

A shiver ran down Avi's back as he remembered. "I remember I was ringing up a customer at the hardware store, but my eyes were glued to monitor. There was a little girl with her mom, cutest little thing, and she asked why I was watching the boring channel. Of course, I told them that it was my cousin's first day in the senate and the mom remembered who you are, told me she had voted for you in fact."

Smiling a little, Leidy closed her eyes as she curled up next to Avi's warm form. "And then what?"

"The meeting hadn't yet started but the house was filled, some old fart began taking attendance, we were looking for your face. Your name was called once, no response, and I felt the blood leave my face. The lady and I waited, staring at the screen, looking at one another out of the corner of our eyes, and then suddenly, the doors were swung open. I honestly thought you had broken them when they banged. And there you were. We saw you climb over the senators, spill Jerry's water-"

"It spilled!" Leidy gasped, and couldn't help smiling.

"Yep, all over his uniform and papers. Leidy, in that moment I felt like I has having an out of body experience. I didn't want to look at the lady, but her little girl started cracking up. And by the time that old koot started to school you, I couldn't help it either."

“And the part with James?”

Avi groaned, "That was the only bad part. I don't trust him. When you were running for office did he ever endorse you? So much as even look your way? And now he's all up in your face. No, Leidy concentrate on being senator. Forget him." Avi's antennae flickered asynchronous in displeasure.

"If anything though, you were memorable. After an entrance like that, let me tell you, you're impossible to forget."

Leidy looked down at her feet, eyes glistening, "But do you think… like can this be fixed?"

"Fixed?" Avi frowned, his antennae coming forward and arching back. "There is nothing that needs to be fixed in my opinion. Today put you on the radar, everyone's waiting to see what you'll do next. Leidy- we build on precedent. The people are watching you, they are thinking about you, you have their attention. Now you need to show the people who you are."

Silence followed, Leidy still looked unsure of herself. "And who is that? I mean, I know who I am as a person, but in that room, with hundreds to senators, each more competent, experienced, established and whatnot, it's really scary just being me. Do you get what I'm trying to say? I wish Maria was alive, she would know what to say."

"And she is, alive and kicking. We just don't know where."

"People don't disappear in space and just reappear years later, Avi!" Tears prickled and she bit her lips. "Maria is gone. You just refuse to accept the truth, the ship she was on warp drive was found scattered all over Argellius II's space! She's been gone for more than a year."

Avi turned the lights off as he pondered the dilemma, putting away the ice cream, storing the tablets, and taking out the comforters.

"I don't know how I know, but Maria is alive. At least for now. And as for disappearing and reappearing, it's that exactly what happened to my mother? She was lost light years away from Andoria on a malfunctioning escape pod. And to think, the Andorians found her, took her in, and look at me. Anything is possible. Bodies were found in the wreckage of Maria's ship. Maria was not among them. Have a little faith."

Leidy sank onto the bed, too exhausted to refute Avi's wild claims, "I didn't know I would be having an existential crisis my first real day on the job."

Avi chuckled, "Don't think about it now Leidy, we both need to sleep. Today's been exhausting for both of us. I bombed a Gamma guadrant materials theory exam so hard today, I wince every time I think about it."

Leidy whimpered in sympathy and squeezed his hand. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"And I can't forget the professor's grin when I passed it in."

"He's just a xenophobic idiot."

"Who happens to be brilliant in Gamma quadrant materials science. He lives there for nearly a decade. I'm not distressed by the difficulty of the class, but rather by my own behavior. Leidy, he's getting under my skin and every time I open my textbook, or try to do the homework, I hear his sarcastic little whine, uhh, how I h-"

"Hey, hey, didn't we say that we were going to sleep?" Leidy reached for an antennae touching it lightly. Instantly, Avi tensed and his antennae flew, whipping the air before twitching into Leidy's hands. "Come on, let's sleep, we can think tomorrow." Avi covered her with the two comforters and Leidy groaned in pleasure as the warm blankets cocooned her in. Avi lay on top of the thick sheets, and the temperature began to drop precipitously as he turned the thermostat controls near zero Celsius. Thankfully, sleep came instantly for both.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interweaving of Leidy and Maria's story. I think this story will be easier to weave backstory into! Yay!

Leidy's nose woke her to the scents of meat long before the cry of dawn.. Bacon, fried chicken, pepperoni, everything, Leidy even smelled steak.

Rubbing her eyes, and stretching, Leidy screeched as dagger long fangs lunged at her. "Shoot!" Leidy's legs tangled themselves in the blankets, bringing her off the bed and to the floor with a thud.

"Don't get up, today's breakfast in bed!"

Startled, Leidy discovered that above the bed was mounted the skull of great cat, with canines longer than her head.

"Too late, I'm up." Inching around the sides of the bed, Leidy observed the skull carefully. It was immobile and fixed. With greater caution than necessary, Leidy threw the blankets back on the bed and took better stock of her surroundings. Avi's small apartment was always shifting in color, decoration, and feel. The bedroom, she noticed actually resembled a war history museum today. In the middle of the room two chipped and worn battle axes slashed the air in arrested suspension. With awe, Leidy wondered how she hadn't noticed last night. Granted, the room was poorly lit. The axes were actually probably holographs, yet the definition, movement, and weight they exhibited was incredibly accurate.

Avi peeked his head in through the door, with a still sizzling spatula in his hand. "Did the kitty cat scare you?"

"It sure helped to get me on my feet. I don't think I've ever been out a bed so fast since that time we woke up in that Cardassian prison. I'll have to get myself one to wake up in the morning."

Avi's antennae fell forlorn, as he walked to stand behind her. "If you ever want to talk about it-"

Leidy tisked his concern away, her attention diverted to an anomaly in the room. On the wall was a blue and white poster boasting her campaign slogan Safety in Unity and under it her name.

"I can't believe you framed this, Avi." Despite the telling singe of burning meat, Avi lay his chin on her head. "I had to, Leidy. Three words sum the needs of this time."

They stood for a moment in silence- Leidy feeling like a cheap fraud and Avi's expression indiscernible. Unconsciously, Leidy leaned back into Avi's chest and feeling the warmth of his skin as she sighed outwards seeing her breath in the cold house.

"Everything was so much simpler then, to be honest, I kinda thought showing up to the Capitol building smiling and waving would somehow solve a lot of problems. What a lie."

Avi giggled, "I can see it. You show up like the winter queen at a floundering Christmas parade and make everything okay." His long arms cocooned her as they stared blankly at the poster. "I can't blame you. Waking up and seeing your reflection in the mirror, I see how anyone would think the mysteries of the universe are solved."

Cackling like a crow, Leidy unwrapped Avi's arms.

"Working on those pickup lines I see- You still have work to do though."

Avi hummed in response, "Come on, let's eat before the firefighters start thinking that _you've_ been doing the cooking."

"That's not fair!" Leidy laughing all the way until she was seated and nibbling on burnt toast.

Maria reflected on the richness of their carnivorous breakfast, and her mind drifted to Maria. “We’re lucky Maria became vegetarian. Otherwise, even breakfast would be painful.”

"Don’t go there with me,” Avi ground out. “Just eat your breakfast… I’m sorry, my tone was uncalled for. What are you going to do today?" Avi passed Leidy her PADD.

"Good question." Leidy reviewed her latest emails and haphazardly added meetings to her calendar. What resulted, looked like a linearized collage, double bookings every hour of the day. Leidy blinked in panic and instantly her appetite was gone.

Gently, Avi took her PADD away and scrolled through it. Leidy ignored the motion as she discretely slipped her food to the expectant hound beneath her chair.

"Leidy, if you're not hungry don't give you food to the dogs. They have their own food- here's your schedule." It was significantly cleared up, mostly blank, patchy, and finally manageable.

"A lot of the meeting there were voluntary, various committees, exetera, but really your only major stop is the security briefing today at midday which I'm sure involves limiting your family's casual exposure to private government workings, meetings, and top secret."

Leidy smiled and chuckled, "You're a lifesaver. So much so, I might nod off during the talk."

Avi chuckled, but shrugged his shoulders, "My entire life I have never been allowed to enter into your father's study." Avi shook his head before Leidy could protest, "And as grieved as I am to think part of the reason might be tied to my inherited xenobiology, government secrets are government secrets. I don't want to know more than I am legally allowed to, for my safely as well as your integrity."

Leidy gripped Avi's hand curling her fingers into his palm and squeezing. She could not quite decipher all of her feelings, but his words sent a pang of mixed emotions. Relief, loneliness, a bit of panic, but a flood of trust also.

As the dog wagged its tail in contentment, Leidy too felt relieved and at peace.

"Leidy, I know you'll do great. But going back to my original question, what are going to do today? Really. Because right now and for the past couple of days since your election you’ve just been checking boxes off your to-do list."

Leidy scrunched up her face over her expression of embarrassment as she pondered the question. "It seems like my constituents have very poignant questions today."

She flushed as she skimmed through the many messages in her inbox. Questions focused on her behavior yesterday mostly, but the earlier questions were scattered, ranging from her promise to combat xenophobia, end bureaucratic discrimination against off-world peoples, make available more interspecies doctors capable of treating many underserved populations residing on Earth, demands for accessible food replicators capable of alien gastronomy, and much more.

 

With longing, Leidy reminisced about the campaign trail, an amazing blur of patriotism, hope, unity, and constant interaction. But now, Leidy could only scratch her head. Yesterday's paperwork and house meeting lopped the head off any of the left over emotion of campaigning. The hard eyes and haughty chins of her colleagues put her off even before the official disaster. She felt more alienated than ever, worried to think that she would never get any laws passed in the senate. There had to be an ambiance of agreement, at least 66% if attempting to quantify accord, for anything to get done.

"I know what I want to do," Leidy started off slowly, "I want to disassemble systematic xenophobia and specism starting at the bureaucratic level, and I want to make attainable resources to all of the inhabitants of Earth eventually reaching far Federation space, and I want to show the people that respect can and must be part of every interspecies interaction. But…" Guilt pounded Leidy from every side, "I have no idea how to get there."

Her mind was racing as it refocused itself on the declarations that elected her into office.

Avi leaned back as listened and turning his head gave her the owl-look. The owl-look an intelligent countenance contrived from Avi's round human eyes combined with his outstretched eyebrows pinpointing on a subject of interest.

"I almost wish you had ran for president instead, with all of your goals."

They both chuckled, "Daddy would have a fit. Did you see how mad he looked when the votes were all tallied?"

"Yeah," Avi's antennae stood straight up. "I do not understand why though. Your father expects greatness, whatever that means, and you won the seat without ever having to work under any man. Do you think he was jealous of your victory?"

"No, I think he just wants me to never do anything so that he can berate me for never doing anything… Actually, he gave me an entire speech about why I'm not suited for politics, and the 'sacrifices he had to make', and the 'pure corruption and backstabbing that takes place every day'."

Avi flipped through the channels.

"I mean, I haven't seen corruption."

Avi snorted, "And do you think it wears a scarlet letter and greets the new senator the first day on the job?"

"Touché."

_"The new senator was disastrous"- "I disagree, if anything I appreciate the drama. Yesterday, I was about to fall asleep and Senator Odinara Jr. woke me up!" "A blatant lack of decorum and-"_

"Avi change the channel, I don't want to see that." He was frozen, staring at the TV.

"Come on, Avi- I'm trying to avoid the media… Fine." Leidy dumped her dishes into the sink and swung out to the balcony. A little later, Avi followed, never looking up from his PADD."

"Look at this," the news channel showed a swarming hoard of photographers outside of her father's house.

"Daaang," Leidy's PADD chirped with an incoming transmission, her father. "Good morn-"

"Where are you, Leidy?" Her father barked.

"Not at your house… Don't worry, Daddy. I have a couple meeting today, umm, let me read you me schedule-" Leidy stalled while Avi's antennae stuck straight up.

"What should I tell him?" Leidy mimed but her father cut to the point.

"Are you at Avi's house?" Avi raised the volume of the call so he could listen in.

"Yes," Leidy chirped looking at the live images. Men in black cut through the photographers and Leidy's father exited under the cover of his bodyguards. When he entered the black hovercar, their conversation resumed.

"Leidy you are to leave immediately for the Capitol building-"

"I don't have anything to wear-"

"You'll find everything you need for today in my office, come straight up when you arrive. There's a black hovercar outside of Avi's apartment, leave right now. If you don't exit the building in the next twenty seconds your security detail will force entry." The call ended with a beep.

Avi quickly but gently led her to the door, and kissing her forehead, peeking his head out scanned the surroundings, and softly pushed Leidy out.

Leidy bit in her yelp as her bare feet hit the cold and dewy steps. A man dressed in a black suit, met her half way down the stairs. He pushed her head down and shielded her body as they, a little too efficiently, strode to the car. Crawling, half yanked into the car, Leidy huffed from the manhandling and glared at the man as he entered the front passenger seat of the car. Looking to see Avi, she saw his antennae wriggle just as he closed the door.

"Good Morning Ms.Odinara-Ortega. My name is Charles, I am in charge of protecting you for the duration of your term as senator."

"Oh…. Didn't I have another bodyguard… I think his name was-"

"He was let go-" Charles cut in briskly. “For failing to identify your location this morning.”

Leidy didn't have to mull over that for very long, "Daddy has to chill out."

Looking around the spacious car, she reached for the complementary bottle service, but it was swiftly plucked away by the bodyguard. "Apologies Miss. My employer has made it clear that alcoholic bottle service is strictly interdicted for you."

"Then why do you even have it!" Leidy complained, sinking into the warm seat. "And your ugly name?" Leidy asked the driver.

The man grunted, "You wouldn't be able to pronounce it baby-tongue. You look even more ridiculous in person than on the viewer."

Leidy's head swung back as she laughed, "Pig face, call me Leidy. What may I call you?"

The body guard looked at the exchange with a sort of disapproving detachment.

"Bourne," the Tellarite driver finally said. The reference was not lost on Leidy. "Okay Jason, and I'm Madea!"

Leidy and the Tellarite found easy conversation, ignoring the bodyguard completely as they approached the Capitol.

“You know, I voted for you, Leidy. And although your theory of economics is infantile-”

“Well that’s not true. The early works of Julian Paine explicitly state that for an economy to be stable first the common people must have their needs met and I agree!”

“Bah, the rich, who will stay rich I will add, make opportunities for the poor. Think about it, the government could feed me indefinitely, but a rich man, your father, gave me this job.”

“I disagree! Even without the rich you could have set up your own taxi service.”

“But what I am really trying to say kid,” Bourne cut in, “Is that your heart is in the right place. It’s nice to see a Human who actually cares sincerely about us off-worlders.”

“That means a lot to me, Bourne. This is my stop.”

“Good day miss, I look forward to discussing economics with you, but if I have to hear another argument for the dumb works of Paine...”

Leidy laughed. “See you later, Bourne!”


End file.
